Porteadoras

Porteadoras are bale workers in the Spanish autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta, located on the north coast of Africa.

History

Due to a second duty called Biutz anything physically carried across the borders into Morocco is duty-free. This created a cottage industry of sorts for people in the district to carry goods across the border for merchants.[1]

Every year, more than €1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) worth of goods are carried by Porteadoras into Morocco across the borders of Melilla and Ceuta.[2]

It is typically a "job of last resort", performed mostly by widows, divorcees, or wives with severely disabled husbands.[1][2][3][4] Typically, aged and/or ailing women carry bales of trade goods that weigh more than themselves.[2][3][4]

Being a porteadora is considered a difficult, dangerous job. There are few, if any, regulations in place to protect the workers.[3][4] In 2008, porteadora Safia Azizi fell and was promptly trampled to death.[2] In 2009 two women died at Ceuta Biutz border crossing, overwhelmed by an avalanche of 200 carriers, four policemen were also injured.[5][6]

Calls have been made for safer working conditions, limits on the bale weight and more reliable border opening.[3][4]

References
  1. Gianfranco, Tripodo. "porteadoras". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  2. Laia, Abril. "Melilla's porteadoras cross the border between Spain and Morocco up to five times a day, carrying loads of up to 90 kilograms". Colors Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  3. Pressly, Linda. "The heavy-lifting 'mule women' of Melilla". BBC World Service. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  4. DALEY, SUZANNE. "A Borderline Where Women Bear the Weight". NYTimes. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. "El Biutz de la vergüenza". Geógrafo Subjetivo. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  6. "Mueren arrolladas dos mujeres en la frontera de Ceuta". Retrieved 17 May 2014.
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